NORFOLK, Va. (Courtesy of NSU Athletics) – Heading into JMU’s first-ever trip to Echols Hall on Saturday, the Dukes aimed to shatter the Norfolk State men’s basketball team’s 17-game home win streak at its campus venue.
Norfolk State (3-0) stepped up to the challenge to produce an 83-69 victory in front of an enthusiastic crowd, winning its 18th consecutive game at Echols Hall and third straight matchup with the Dukes (1-1).
Christian Ings led the Spartans with 22 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor. Brian Moore Jr. followed closely behind with 17 points, while Terrance Jones (11) and Sin’Cere McMahon (10) also scored in double figures.
James Madison hit the ground running, jumping out to an early 9-1 lead. Xavier Brown knocked down a 3-pointer, as the Spartans turned the ball over three times in the game’s first three minutes.
Ings nearly singlehandedly willed the Spartans back into the ballgame with an unconscious opening stretch. The graduate guard recorded Norfolk State’s first basket on an acrobatic reverse layup, earning a trip to the free throw line in the process.
After Sin’Cere McMahon hit a floater in the lane, Ings bullied his way to the basket for two points as the Spartans continued to chip away at the deficit. Ings drained a pullup 3-pointer, before hitting a step back jumper on the next offensive possession to give NSU its first lead of the day, 12-11.
A JMU triple put the Dukes back in front, but Terrance Jones responded with a 3-pointer of his own off the bench. Playing his first minutes in a Norfolk State uniform after returning from injury, UT Martin transfer Jalen Myers knocked down a mid-range jumper to keep the momentum going.
Jones got to the rim for a strong layup, before Jordan Leaks got the crowd on its feet with a 3-pointer with a foul for a four-point play.
Norfolk State earned its largest advantage of the first half on another Ings paint score, going ahead 27-19. A dunk from Eddie Ricks III kickstarted an 11-0 JMU run, however, pushing the Dukes back in the driver’s seat.
Ings closed out his tremendous half in the final moments of the first period. As Kuluel Mading pushed the ball up the floor, he found Ings on the wing who drained a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded, cutting the gap to 33-32 at halftime. The triple pushed Ings’ stat line to 17 points at the game’s midway point.
Plagued by foul trouble in the first half, Brian Moore Jr. scored two quick baskets after the break but picked up his third foul soon after.
McMahon hit his first 3-pointer of the evening to force a JMU timeout, then made another on the Spartans’ next possession to give Norfolk State a double-digit lead. The Dukes eventually cut the gap to six, but Ings converted three free throw attempts immediately after to get his team back on track.
Bryce Lindsay hit a timely 3-pointer for JMU with under 12 minutes remaining, but the Spartans refused to slow down. Myers and Leaks put together quick layups, before Moore hit a midrange jumper in transition to force JMU to call timeout trailing 58-44.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Dukes guard Mark Freeman got the road team going a few minutes later, pulling within six. Mading hit a pair of mid-range jumpers within quick succession, before stepping into a clutch 3-pointer in the final minutes to help Norfolk State regain complete control.
Checking The Box Score
- Christian Ings led Norfolk State with 22 points, adding five rebounds and one assist
- Ings scored 10 of Norfolk State’s first 12 points, and 17 of the Spartans’ 32 first half points
- Brian Moore Jr. followed closely behind with 17 points, while Terrance Jones (11) and Sin’Cere McMahon (10) also scored in double figures.
- Saturday’s game featured one tie and five lead changes
- JMU shot 13-of-42 (31.0 percent) from behind the arc, while Norfolk State went 7-of-15 (46.7 percent)
- Norfolk State shot 22-of-29 (75.9 percent) from the free throw line, while JMU went just 10-of-18 (55.6 percent)
News & Notes
- Norfolk State improved to 3-0 with the win
- JMU dropped to 1-1 with the loss
- The Spartans now lead the all-time series with JMU 3-2, winning the last three matchups against the Dukes
- Norfolk State started the season 3-0 for the second consecutive season
- Norfolk State has now won 18 consecutive games at Echols Hall, with its last home loss coming on Feb. 20, 2023
- Saturday’s game marked the first time the JMU men’s basketball team has played in Echols Hall
UP NEXT
Norfolk State will not travel far for its first road game of the season, heading to Williamsburg, Va. to face William & Mary at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12.